Swansea Bridge Bookings
The Swansea Channel, the entrance to Lake Macquarie, has a lift bridge for the Highway (A43). You need to plan ahead if your vessel needs to pass through. There are NO regular, scheduled bridge openings. All openings MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE with Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie. For help approaching the bridge from the sea or the lake, see our Boaters Guide to Entering Lake Macquarie.
Bridge Dimensions
Swansea Bridge clearance heights when closed: 2.0m under opening span and and 2.2m under fixed spans.
Swansea Bridge is 18m wide at water level but only 14m wide at the top when the bridge is open, so you need to know where your mast is in relation to the bridge. Sails MUST be lowered and secured prior to going through the bridge.
How to Book
To book call Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie radio room 24/7 on
(02) 4972 7400
or
VHF Channel 16.
View the Swansea Bridge projects page for any planned work with marine traffic impacts.
Opening Times
Book at least 1 hour earlier for these times:
| 6am | 7am | 9am | 10am |
| 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm |
| 3pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm |
Book at least 6 hours earlier for:
| 8pm | 9pm | 10pm | 11pm |
| 12am | 1am | 2am | 3am |
| 4am | 5am |
NOTE: The bridge will not be opened during peak road traffic times on weekdays at 8am and 4pm.
Book at least 1 hour earlier for these times:
| 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am |
| 10am | 11pm | 12pm | 1pm |
| 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm |
| 6pm | 7pm |
Book at least 6 hours earlier for:
| 8pm | 9pm | 10pm | 11pm |
| 12am | 1am | 2am | 3am |
| 4am | 5am |
NOTE: The bridge will not be opened during peak road traffic times on weekdays at 8am and 4pm.
Rules
Ambulance, Fire and Police have priority over bridge openings and may load to delays in the bridge opening.
All vessel operators passing through the bridge must:
- Observe navigation rules when approaching the bridge.
- 5 minutes before opening you must be off the courtesy moorings otherwise the bridge may not open. ’Make ready’ indicates vessels have priority and must leave their moorings. The bridge will not open if vessels have not left their moorings.
- Keep a safe distance from the opening bridge and wait for a green light before proceeding.
- Priority is determined by the bridge operator depending on safety and emergency service access. Be alert to navigation lights and the variable message sign. The bridge operator will announce priority on the PA (public address) system and display a variable message sign. ’Make ready’ indicates when vessels have priority. ‘Keep clear’ indicates vessels are to wait.
- Sails MUST be lowered and secured prior to going through the bridge.
When a flotilla of vessels is moving through, the bridge may close after 10 minutes to clear road traffic, before reopening again.
NSW Water Police will be notified of any serious breaches to these rules.
The bridge cannot open during high winds, bookings may need to be rescheduled.
Cancellations and late arrivals
The bridge opens on the hour.
- If you arrive late for your booking you shall need to re-book the next available opening.
- If you cannot make a booked opening, cancel the booking by calling Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie on (02) 4972 7400 or VHF Channel 16.
- If no cancellation is received you may need to re-book the opening 1 to 6 hours in advance, as indicated above.
More Information
For comprehensive information about entering or leaving Lake Macquarie via the Swansea Channel, see our Boaters Guide to Entering Lake Macquarie.
For the latest official information, go to the NSW Government Page for Swansea Bridge